Simple Virtues: Pood, Let Me Make It Up to You

So, when I was a youngster (maybe 8 or 9, I don't remember)

my family went on a vacation, and one stop was the

Santa Fe Opera House

to see the opera The Magic Flute and

my uncle Raymond Ezra Wood,

who played the bass violin in the orchestra.

It is unfortunate that I had to use the restroom, and that

my sister Nancy took me, and that the doors were closed when we returned

and had to sit out the first part of the opera behind those closed doors.

I hope she has forgiven me for this. : (

I remember how beautiful the opera house was,

looking up at the night sky and stars.

It completely burned down in 1967.

My uncles bass violin burned with the building.

He never played the bass violin again.

But, he went to school and became a counselor,

and taught at the university!

I want to go again. ; )

So here's my little fantasy trip...

and Nancy,

you must come.

My treat. ; )

We are going to see:

THE PEARL FISHERS

Georges Bizet

First Performance by The Santa Fe Opera. New Production

Sung in French

June 30, July 6, 11, 31, August 10, 13, 22, 25 , 2012

The creative team of director Lee Blakeley, scenic designer Jean-Marc Puissant, costume designer Brigitte Reiffenstuel, and lighting designer Rick Fisher, who gave us the highly original 2010 production of Madame Butterfly, will repeat their collaboration for the new production of Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers. Returning after an absence of a decade is French conductor Emmanuel Villaume, most recently music director of the Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston. He is a regular guest conductor at Chicago’s Lyric Opera.

Nicole Cabell, who was the fiery Musetta in the 2007 production of La Bohème, returns to sing the role of the princess Leila. Her competing love interests, who are also best friends, will be sung by tenor Eric Cutler and baritone Christopher Magiera. Their duet “Au fond du temple saint” is one of the most familiar in all of opera. Bizet was only 24 when he wrote The Pearl Fishers, which was imbued with musical brilliance that predicted what was to come.

A brief history of the Santa Fe Opera House:

John Crosby, a New York-based conductor, founded SFO in 1956, originally as the Opera Association of New Mexico. His goal was to give American singers the opportunity to learn and perform new roles while having ample time for rehearsal and preparation. Its first season began on 3 July 1957.
It burned down in 1967.

Rebuilt theatre, 1968 to 1997

The second theatre, a new open-air house seating 1,889, was ready for the start of the new season on 26 June 1968. Just like the company's opening night in 1957, it presented Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

The new theatre was designed by the Santa Fe firm of McHugh and Kidder. One of its principal features was the partial opening of the roof towards the middle of the orchestra section, provided by the curving, audience-facing slope of the stage roof and the thrust of the mezzanine and rear orchestra roof forward. Also, the auditorium’s sides were open, as was the rear of the stage (although sliding doors could be closed). It provided for spectacular Westward views - as well as giving some centrally located audience members a view of the night sky.

Most of the new theatre's backstage facilities, including scenery construction and storage and costume and props production, were actually constructed below the stage level in order to preserve the open views to the West. A large elevator, located immediately behind the stage, provides the means whereby scenery can be moved up from the construction shop one level below or down to the storage area, three levels below.

Present theatre, since 1998

Opera interior. The white sail-like wind baffles are visible on the left, the clerestory window provides light, and the rear of the stage is open.

Renamed "The Crosby Theater" (following the founder's death in 2002 and reflecting the contributions of both of his parents in supporting the opera festival^[16]), the present theatre was designed by the architectural firm headed by James Polshek of New York. It was built during extensive reconstruction, which followed the tearing down of the 1968 theatre right at the end of the opera season in late August 1997. The new theatre was completed in ten months for an early July 1998 opening of new season.

Oops....I need to use the restroom,

but I will hold it,

just for you, Poodernancy. ; )